I am teaching at s summer camp for the next few weeks and got some info today on the kids I'll have for the first two week. I'll be working with all the kids, eventually, but these two groups will be coming to me for a sort of immersion program for half the day, so I got detailed info about them in particular. Of the twenty kids:

One is allergic to peanuts, nuts, rice, banana, barley, oats, eggs, wheat, soy, corn, dairy, sesame AND has a hearing aid. All of this is listed under 'medical' and then under dietary restrictions' it says he is not allowed snacks from camp. I should think not, with a list like that. Poor little guy.

One is allergic to nuts, peanuts, shellfish and whole eggs. Says they have an epipen, but does not specify whether they can eat camp food or not.

Severe allergy to scented soaps, lotions and creams. This one has hay fever too. I wonder if she reacts to sunscreen if others are wearing it?

Allergy to tree nuts, ragweed and shellfish. Epipen 'if required'

Allergy to all tree nuts. Specifies 'anaphylactic' in the comments but does not say if they have an epipen.

Allergy to bug bites, pollen. Also lactose intolerant and has migraines.

Another with headaches and/or migraines. Also has some sort of 'coordination and balance issue.'

Two kids with asthma, notes that they have inhalers if needed and are generally fine.

Also two with ADHD, one of whom is medicated. And two with Autism, one of whom will have a 'shadow' (i.e. aide)

So, that's actually 50% of the kids, right there. Doesn't that seem very high? In my regular job, I think there were only two in the school. I wonder why this camp has so many kids with these sorts of issues?

You are going to be very busy, by the sounds of it. I am wondering if there is any training in place for you regarding these kids issues? You know about anaphylaxis, but if you didn't, would there be a process in place to teach you?

Update: I have a new group, and there are just as many kids. I heard chatter on the walkie talkies today about a kid not being allowed to go off-site for an activity because she had forgotten her epi-pen and her mother had not yet brought a spare one to the nurse. The bottom line was they would net let the kid go without it. The mom later turned up and was mad that they didn't just give her the sister's epi-pen and let her go, but the head staff was very adamant about this. It would not have been fair to leave the sister without the epi-pen so this kid could take it, and it was not their fault that the mom has not yet supplied the camp with a spare as she was instructed to do, so they did not appreciate being blamed for the kid not going with her group. Sounds like the head staff really took the training to heart! Yes, it may be too bad that the child did not get to go to the activity today, but how much more upset would the mom had been if she had gone, there was a problem and she didn't have the epi-pen with her? Or if she had taken her sisters and then her sister had needed it? It is better to err on the side of caution, and I 100% agree with what they did. The camp has a very clear policy on epi-pens and if the child has one, the parents are to leave an extra with the nurse for just this exact reason.

Sounds like administration really "gets it" and is taking their policy seriously.
Now they are discovering that not all parents are as vigilant as we might want them to be.

Just because you had a child, it doesn't mean you're automatically a good parent. Likewise, just because your child has a food allergy, it doesn't mean that suddenly you are going to learn all that you can and follow all of the recomendations given to you. (Assuming that you are given the information and had the presence of mind to hear it at the time)

Those of us who seek out information to protect ourselves and our children are at one end of the continuum with the allergy deniers at the other end.

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